1. Field of the Invention
The technical field of the present invention is the prevention or treatment of inflammation.
2. Description of Related Art
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The classical signs of acute inflammation are pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process. Inflammation is a stereotyped response, and therefore it is considered as a mechanism of innate immunity, as compared to adaptive immunity, which is specific for each pathogen.
Inflammation can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli and is achieved by the increased movement of plasma and leukocytes (especially granulocytes) from the blood into the injured tissues. A cascade of biochemical events propagates and matures the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular system, the immune system and various cells within the injured tissue. Prolonged inflammation, known as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells present at the site of inflammation and is characterized by simultaneous destruction and healing of the tissue from the inflammatory process.
Inflammatory abnormalities (inflammatory disorders) are a large group of disorders which underlie a vast variety of human diseases. The immune system is often involved with inflammatory disorders, demonstrated in both allergic reactions and some myopathies, with many immune system disorders resulting in abnormal inflammation. Non-immune diseases with etiological origins in inflammatory processes include cancer, atherosclerosis and ischaemic heart disease. Examples of disorders associated with inflammation include acne vulgaris, asthma, autoimmune diseases, celiac disease, chronic prostatitis, glomerulonephritis, hypersensitivities, inflammatory bowel diseases, pelvic inflammatory disease, reperfusion injury, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, transplant rejection, vasculitis, interstitial cystitis, atherosclerosis, allergy, myopathies, leucocyte defects and cancer.
Medical treatment of acute and chronic inflammation has been performed with corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Also anti-inflammatory foods have been suggested to treat or prevent inflammation. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that affect the body in variety of ways, also regulating inflammatory mediation. An anti-inflammatory diet includes less food that create inflammation-causing prostaglandins (PGE2) in the body, and more foods that create anti-inflammatory prostaglandins (PGE1 and PGE3). Suggested diets to prevent inflammation include those rich in vegetables and low in simple carbohydrates and fats, such as saturated fats and trans-fats. Anti-inflammatory foods include most colourful fruits and vegetables, oily fish (which contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids), nuts, seeds and certain spices, such as ginger. Extra-virgin olive oil contains the chemical oleocanthal that acts similarly to ibuprofen. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to disrupt inflammation cell signaling pathways by binding to the GPR120 receptor.
However, there is still a need for prevention and treatment of inflammation, especially chronic inflammation. Such prevention and treatment should be provided without severe side effects or, preferably, without the risk for long term adverse developments, such as addiction, metabolic disorders, declining efficacy, etc.